With 2012 in the books, it is fair to say it was a mixed year for commodities exchange-traded products. Due to the European sovereign debt crisis, slowing growth and demand in the emerging world and persistent concerns about the U.S. recovery, commodities were an "on again, off again" asset class in 2012.
Broadly speaking, it was not a good year for commodities as the Thomson Reuters-Jefferies CRB index closed lower for the second consecutive year. That is despite the fact that three of the index's 19 components posted double-digit gains and 13 closed the year higher...............................................Full Article: Source